AMBIANCE TAKING THE LOVING ONLINE

Ambiance, The Store for Lovers is taking its assortment of satin and lace unmentionables, fantasy games, videos and, umm, marital aids, to a place where it knows sex sells: the Internet.
The Ambiance site, www.storeforlovers .com, was launched last Friday, Oct. 22, though its debut was a long time coming. Technical glitches caused a two-year delay in completing the web site, said Jennifer Downey, president of the Parma retail company.
But Ms. Downey has been patient, for good reason.
'With our products, it's a natural (to sell online) because many people are nervous or afraid to step over the threshold of our six stores,' Ms. Downey said. 'It is convenient for them, and they can research products, too.'
The Internet site's merchandise list won't be a carbon copy of the stores' stock. The company is starting off with about 250 products online, a fraction of the 2,000 different items available at Ambiance stores, Ms. Downey said. Although the online goods will be more risque than what's in the stores, the web site will project the same have-fun-with-sex image of the retail locations, she said.
Ms. Downey ultimately wants the web site to pave the way for Ambiance to open stores in locales outside Northeast Ohio. The company operates stores in Canton, Cuyahoga Falls, Mentor, North Olmsted, Parma Heights and Shaker Heights.
'This is going to help open up all major markets,' Ms. Downey said. 'This is a (store) concept that can go anywhere. I see this as a little cottage industry.'
While the Internet can reach consumers around the world, Ambiance initially will market the web site only in Pittsburgh. Ambiance wants to build name recognition in Pittsburgh because the company wants to open stores there, said Sandy Bennett, marketing director for the retailer.
Ambiance next month will begin airing commercials during Howard Stern's morning drive-time program on WXDX-FM, 105.9, a Pittsburgh rock station, Ms. Bennett said. Other conventional marketing vehicles s
uch as television and print ads likely will be added later to promote the web site there, Ms. Bennett said. However, Ambiance isn't considering online advertising.
'I don't see a reason to do the banner ads on other web sites,' Ms. Downey said. 'And I won't want to put a banner on our site because it's sending people to someone else's site.'
Ms. Downey said she would like to open a store in Pittsburgh by October 2000.
Should Ambiance follow through on plans to expand outside northern Ohio, Ms. Downey said the company would open multiple stores in any new market it enters.
'When you go into any market, you have to have more than one store just to support marketing,' Ms. Downey said. 'Ideally, you might want to go in with four stores. But you have to have the money.'
Ms. Downey and her husband, Henry Keiluhn, who own Ambiance jointly, are debating how to finance store expansion.
'I'm sure I can find the cash, but I don't know if we want to bring in a partner...or have franchisees,' she said. 'We don't yet know if we want to deal with a bank or venture capitalist.' Ms. Downey said she and her husband are going though a strategic planning course with the Council of Smaller Enterprises.
In the meantime, Ms. Downey said she plans to open Ambiance stores next year in Boardman and Elyria, bringing the store count to eight. The company opened its newest store, in Cuyahoga Falls, Oct. 8.
Ambiance also is seeking to move its corporate headquarters to a space with about 5,000 square feet from its 2,000-square-foot office and warehouse at 12311 Plaza Drive in Parma. The company's lease expires next July, and it needs room to accommodate growth. Ambiance employs 50, nine of whom work in Parma.
'I want to be centrally located,' Ms. Downey said. 'I would like to stay in the same area or the (Interstate) 77 corridor.'
Ms. Downey said she would consider bringing fulfillment of online orders in-house after Ambiance moves to a larger location. It is using US Brands, a fulfillment house in Beachwood, to ship Internet orders.
Bringing the fulfillment function in-house could force the retailer to hire more people. So far, the company has hired only one person -- Ms. Bennett -- as a result of the online business.
Ms. Downey projects Ambiance will end the year with about $3.5 million in sales from its six stores, compared with sales of $2.7 million last year from five stores. This year's estimated revenues don't include revenues from the Internet venture, she said.